9 Problems For Which It Is Advisable To Go To Family Therapy
Family therapy is one of the modalities of psychological intervention that is increasingly in demand, due to the wide variety of problems and alterations in each person that usually have their origin in the family environment.
As awareness of mental health has increased, it has become clear that emotional well-being is not something that depends solely on each individual person, but has causes and effects in their immediate social environment.
There are many ways to detect when it is necessary to request the services of a family psychology professional ; Below we will highlight the most important ones.
What are the main problems for which it is advisable to go to family therapy?
These are the experiences and problems for which it is advisable to go to family therapy.
1. Very frequent intense discussions
Frequent discussions are one of the most common queries that family therapy professionals receive, and are among the most common causes of problems that occur within the family. Many times these “clashes” between two or more people do not have a recurring theme that triggers them, but rather the problem is that both have internalized a dysfunctional way of trying to resolve conflicts with the other
Discussions in a family are often a natural way to resolve any type of conflict, however, the problem appears when they are excessively frequent, for example almost daily, and there is an excessive predisposition towards confrontation among its members. escalation of the conflict.
In these cases, the work of psychological professionals consists in part of acting as a mediator or arbitrator, in identifying the root of said problem and in training each of the family members in adaptive relationship modalities (in which emotional management, anger control, negotiation, empathy and training in social skills of all kinds).
2. Communication problems
Communication problems are also very common causes that can explain family conflicts of all kinds, and these have to do both with a negative communication model and with all types of communication blocks or topics that are considered taboo
To treat these types of problems, psychology professionals once again implement all types of communication strategies and social skills, such as training in emotion control, empathy, active listening, assertiveness, emotional intelligence or negotiation.
In the case of taboos or “forbidden” topics for the family, it is important that therapy becomes a space of open communication in which all members of the family can express their feelings and talk about everything that worries them. or that they have not been able to share until now.
3. Family support in the face of an individual psychotherapy process
In cases where a person has developed psychopathology, The family can act as a therapeutic element to support that family member in their recovery in a process of psychological therapy.
And, as has been demonstrated on countless occasions, a family that is understanding and willing to support is enormously beneficial in cases where one of its members presents some type of psychological or emotional alteration.
In cases of addiction, family support also plays an essential role in contributing to the person’s detoxification and overcoming their addictive disorder.
Both chemical and behavioral addictions usually have a destabilizing component of coexistence very important, which means that these disorders usually influence in a very negative way, even destroying them, any relationship that the person may have, both social and family.
5. Adaptation problems
Adaptation problems or difficulties are forms of discomfort that occur when something happens that qualitatively transforms the routines and habits of a person or group of people. They can be the birth of a new child, the loss of a loved one, the loss of a job or a change of address to another city or country.
In some cases, the person who experiences this radical change in their life may need the support of their family again, who will know how to accompany them and support them in their therapeutic process until their recovery. But many times families do not have the necessary knowledge to do so, or all their members are going through these adaptation problems at the same time.
6. Traumatic experiences
Some traumatic experiences especially those that have been experienced by all or most family members can also be one of the problems for which it is advisable to go to family therapy.
These experiences can be traffic accidents, natural disasters, violent situations, or the death of a loved one, and in these cases it is very helpful for all affected family members to support each other and exert a common therapeutic effect aimed at each one. of family members.
Excessively permissive or severe parenting models exercised by parents are often another cause of negative dynamics within the family, both emotionally and behaviorally.
The psychologist’s job in these cases is to work on new, more positive behavioral models in the parents and also train in educational strategies with which to channel relationships between parents and children and between the family as a whole.
8. Conflicts due to psychosocial problems that affect children
Some conflicts external to the family that children may have are also one of the unequivocal signs that it is necessary to start a process of family psychological intervention.
Some of these conflicts may be problems with friends who are seen as a bad influence, bullying problems at school, etc. Although these types of experiences can be addressed in individualized psychotherapy, it is common for discussions to arise in the family context because several family members They have opposite views about how to deal with these cases
9. Loss of contact with children
Sometimes, The routine and generational differences between parents and children mean that, over the years, an emotional distance is created something that happens especially when the latter are teenagers or young adults.
The loss of contact between parents and children is often the root of many of the conflicts and forms of discomfort that affect both, since they feel that they do not have the emotional support of someone important to them.
